Pubs say water cuts not posing problems – yet

Licensed Vintners say there is still ‘considerable concern’ in industry

Workers deliver water treatment chemicals to the Ballymore Eustace water treatment plant in Co Wicklow which is experiencing production difficulties. Nightly restrictions affecting more than 1amillion people in Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow came into force on Wednesday night. Photograph: Colin Keegan/Collins Dublin.

Having stocked up with bottled water at short notice, many hoteliers, restaurateurs and publicans were relieved to get through the first night of water shortages, albeit with greatly reduced water pressure.

Pat Dowling of the Stag’s Head pub in Dublin city centre said his business “got by” with reduced pressure – and the assistance of two large tanks on the roof which kept the toilets flushing.

“The water supply was very reduced, though, and we are watching what will happen over the next few days,” said Mr Dowling.

Elsewhere, Grogan’s Castle Lounge on South William Street also “didn’t lose the water”. While a barman said the pub was approaching the weekend “with the fingers crossed”, the management was annoyed at the short notice of the restrictions. “We read about it, but nobody is able to tell us what will happen. The restaurants around here are are living in fear,” he said.

The barman said the pub served sandwiches and so was not as vulnerable as restaurants, but water was still required for the beer coolers and glass-washing.

Brian McCloskey of McCloskey’s of Donnybrook said his pub did not suffer a complete water loss, either. “It would severely affect the kitchen, everything from coffees to cleaning and at the bar, the machines that wash glasses,” he said.

Pádraig Óg Gallagher, who had been fearful of the effect on his business on Wednesday, said the Boxty House restaurant in Temple Bar had managed on a reduced supply. Although he was worried about the prospects for the weekend, “it was not cut off”.

Alison O’Rourke from Baldoyle said her family was used to low pressure at weekends, but “we went out and bought loads of bottled water at Lidl and then it never went off”. Her friend Monica Kelly who lives in Clontarf said that area was not cut off either.

A spokeswoman for the Abbey Tavern in Howth said a party of 40 had been in for dinner and entertainment and no difficulties had been noticed, even if pressure had been reduced.

On the south side, spokesmen at the Galloping Green pub in Stillorgan and the Blackrock Clinic reported minimal difficulties. A spokesman for the clinic said the peak period for water consumption was during the day and no major difficulties had been reported.

A similar experience was reported by Jim Doyle’s Gastro Pub in Bray, Co Wicklow. “I didn’t hear, and I would have if there had been a problem,” a spokesman said.

However, the Licensed Vintners Association, which has more than 700 members in the Dublin area, was more concerned about the issue.

Spokesman Donal O’Keeffe said his members were “night-time traders faced with night-time cuts”. He said water cuts from midnight to 7am would have been more acceptable and there was still considerable concern in the industry.